Tourism leaders in mid Wales have welcomed today’s announcement that indoor hospitality and the wider tourism sector will be able to reopen on May 17.
First Minister Mark Drakeford announced the plans to lift lockdown restrictions on hospitality and tourism following a call from the Covid-19 Tourism Taskforce, set up by Welsh Government, to bring forward the reopening dates in line with England and Scotland.
It means that people will be able to have a drink or meal inside a pub or restaurant in Wales for the first time in more than five months from May 17.
All tourist accommodation, indoor entertainment and attractions in Wales will also reopen on that date in time for the spring bank holiday.
Rowland Rees-Evans, chairman of MWT Cymru, which represents more than 600 tourism and hospitality businesses across Powys, Ceredigion and the Meirionnydd region of Gwynedd, warmly welcomed the announcement.
Earlier this week, he backed the taskforce’s letter to the First Minister and warned that the tourism and hospitality sector in Wales would lose out if the reopening dates were not in alignment with England.
“It’s very pleasing that the First Minister has listened to the hospitality and tourism industry and that we now have a roadmap so that we know exactly where we are. We now have the summer to look forward to and it shows that the vaccination programme is working.
“We all must continue to work together to ensure that we keep everyone safe.”
Taskforce member Steve Hughson, Mid Wales Regional Tourism Forum chair and chief executive of the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society (RWAS) at Llanelwedd, also welcomed the announcement.
“Taking account of all the data, which is moving quickly, the Taskforce felt the time was right to move to indoor hospitality as soon as we could after an assessment of the impact of reopening outdoor hospitality,” he said.
“We are delighted the First Minister has take scientific advice, looked at the data and moved quicker than the original time frame.”
Other taskforce members based in Mid Wales include Adrian Greason-Walker, WTA’s policy advisor who lives at Nantmel, near Rhayader and Anthony Rosser, Hospitality Cymru’s chair who is general manager and operations director of Lake Vyrnwy Hotel.
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